Richard Heffner facts for kids
Richard Douglas Heffner (born August 5, 1925 – died December 17, 2013) was an important American educator and TV host. He created and hosted a TV show called The Open Mind. This show talked about important public issues and started way back in 1956.
Heffner was also a professor at Rutgers University and New York University. He taught about how people communicate and how public decisions are made.
He wrote a book called A Documentary History of the United States. This book collected important American documents. These included the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address. He also worked with Elie Wiesel, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, on a book of conversations.
Richard Heffner's Career
Richard Heffner was a student and friend of famous journalist Edward R. Murrow. He helped start what is now WNET, a public TV station in New York City. He was the first general manager of WNET from 1961 to 1963.
From 1974 to 1994, Heffner led a group called the Classification and Rating Administration (CARA). This group is part of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). CARA is in charge of giving movies their ratings, like G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17.
Heffner studied history at Columbia University, earning his degrees in 1946 and 1947. He taught different courses at Rutgers University and New York University. These courses focused on how mass media affects society and how communication connects to human values.
In January 2006, the TV show The Open Mind celebrated its 50th anniversary. Another famous broadcaster, Bill Moyers, hosted the show and interviewed Richard Heffner for this special event.
His Death
Richard Heffner passed away on December 17, 2013, at the age of 88. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage, which is a type of bleeding in the brain.
See also
- MPAA film rating system
External sources
- Rutgers University: Richard D. Heffner
